Into the Woods
by Karma's Best Friend
Summary: REDONE! The cats of StarCLan must face an awful decision to save the Clans....But where does Calvin, Sam, Hobbes, Moe and Susie fit in to the scheme of things? And how will they return home?
1. Plans set in Motion

A/N: Rewritten. I think the chosen are pretty easy to guess, except for the last one: Tommy Chestnut, mentioned in passing in the strip but never seen. I elaborated a bit. ^^

In a moonlit clearing, four cats with stars in their fur sat around a pool, arguing about the future. A large, white tom with black paws snarled. "Firestar, this is ridiculous! You can't expect us to agree to this insanity!"

Firestar, a ginger tom, looked merely worried instead of angry at the tounge-lashing. "Blackstar, you know we must. Otherwise the Clans will be destroyed." One of the remaining two cats, an elderly black and white tom, rasped "Let's get this over with, Firestar."

Firestar stood up and touched his nose to the pool. The water rippled and displayed an image of a Twoleg bed, with a black haired girl, a blonde boy, and two stuffed animals lying in between them. "This is my decision." The rest of the cats present nodded, and Blackstar stood up to make his choice.

He touched his nose to the pool as well, and an image of a dark- haired boy lying in a messy bed in an even messier room appeared. "This is my choice." "That one?" cut in the one cat that had remained silent until then, a tawny golden she-cat with dark spots. "He's a menace. How can you be sure he will not be detrimental to our aims?" "He'll be fine, Leopardstar. I'm sure of my decision."

Tallstar and Leopardstar made their choices, showing in turn a slight, brown haired girl and a twig of a read-headed male.

Firerstar straigtened, and, his words ringing in the still night air, asked "Are you comfortable with your decisions?" The three cats answered as one. "We are." "Then let us lay down the path for the trials to come."

Almost seeming to answer him, a cold wind blew a cloud over the full moon, sentencing the clearing to darkness. When it cleared and the moon finally shone again, the cats were gone.

Stars were walking tonight, in the guise of cats, cats with stars in their eyes and stars sprinkling off their pelts, leaving dew behind. The star-cats each found a house, a window, a room, a person, leaving everything else untouched. And when they found that person, they _breathed._

Not everyday breathing, but a breath so full of life, so full of what it meant to be wild and free, it would have driving any ordinary person not in a state of deep sleep into fits, longing for what had once been ours and was now lost to us forever. But these were no ordinary kids, and they were deep into sleep. After the deed was done, the mystical cats slipped out of the houses and returned to the wild freedom of the stars.

The earth turned, and the stars twirled. And then it was day.


	2. Lookout!

A/N: Grrah, I started on this and had my computer delete it on me.

---

"WAKE UP! YOU'RE GOING TO MISS THE BUS!" After Calvin's mom had finished the foghorn imitation and withdrawn her head, Calvin sat up and blinked at Sam, who had pulled both the covers and a pillow over her head. "Mom should have gone in for opera singi- Oopth!" He glared at Sam over the hastily fashioned pillow-projectile. "C'mon, lets go get dressed, Cal."

It was a normal day of school for Calvin and Sam. A Pop Quiz from Mrs. Wormwood, a three page essay from Mr. Ballantine, Moe beating up Calvin and Sam dropping her lunch tray. Needless to say, it was two very happy kids who got off the school bus. Except for one thing.

Calvin glared suspiciously at Susie, who was following them up the walk. "Hey, your house is over there!" "I know THAT, but I'm obviously not going to my house." "Okay……WHY?!?!" "Mom is at a meeting and Dad's in Vancouver, so Mom made plans with your mom for me to stay over until she gets back from her meeting." "Well, Mom said that you can come over, but you have to stay in our yard." "SHE DID NOT!" "Guys, come on. We're at the house."

Sam opened the door, and Calvin flinched, expecting to see an orange, stripey cannonball headed for his face. But instead……"Ohhh, so CUTE! Your tiger is wearing a TIE!" Calvin shot Hobbes a glare as he was practically knocked off his feet by Susie rushing past him for a hug from the snappily attired tiger.

"Okay, okay. Girls flip for ties. NOW STOP WINKING AT ME!" "Pfft. You'd think you might WANT a tip. You'll be lucky if you don't have to wear a paper bag over your face, the way you are going." "Why you little-!" Calvin's mom stuck her head into the room, saying "Calvin, BE NICE. I need to run to the grocery to pick up some things for dinner. I'll be back soon."

As soon as Mom left the house Calvin ran into the kitchen. "Guys, let's play Calvinball!" "Calvinball?" asked Susie, frowning. "The only rules are that there are no rules and it can never be played the same way twice." said Sam, putting the peanut butter back in the cupboard. "Okay……I'll try….." "Calvin, you go get the masks while I get the time fracture wickets."

--Outside, ten minutes later--

Calvin was speeding down a hill in his wagon, black mask on and a croquet mallet in hand. He was chasing Sam and Susie, who were in Sam's blue wagon. Sam was steering, and had the Calvinball in her lap. Susie was sitting back to back, with Calvin's dart gun and a water balloon launcher close to hand. "Eat balloon!" she yelled, taking aim.

_**SPLAT!**_

Calvin glared at Susie, pulling a piece of balloon off his face……..just in time to see a gigantic tree in their path! "HIT THE BREAKES!"

_**CRASH! **_

Calvin had enough time to see a group of cats, their outlines wavering like fog, appear in a ring around them before his vision flickered and went out like a candle.

--Moe's house--

Moe's dad, in a beer induced haze, was semi-asleep in front of the television. Not asleep enough, in fact, for when Moe came into the house he lurched upright. "Where 'he hell do you think you're going, boy? Get your ass into the kitchen and do that homework!" When Moe did not move fast enough for his liking, he lurched over to Moe and slapped him, open-handed, hard enough to knock him off his feet. "I-SAID-GET-IN-THERE!" Moe's father roared, punctuating each word with a blow to the huddled figure at his feet. "GO!"

With a Herculaneum effort, Moe got to his feet and ran, ran away from the cruelty still spouting from his dad's mouth and out the door, into the woods bordering the trailer park. He did not make it far before his vision blurred, and the combined force of his wounds brought him crashing to the ground.

--Tommy's backyard--

"Oh, shoot." groaned Tommy Chestnut as his baseball flew over the back fence and into the woods. Sighing, he climbed over the fence and into the dark woods. He never even saw the myriad of eyes following his progress, or the whippy branch that poleaxed him.


	3. Waking Up

A/N: Yay! Sorry for the long wait. School is being a pain in the crack.

---

Plato yawned and stretched, waking up and hopping off the bed. "Where IS everyone?" he grumbled, loping downstairs in a bid for a tuna fish sandwich. Instead he found a note in a child's scrawl, clearly written by Calvin. "Went out to play Calvinball, eh? I guess they'll be back soon. In the mean time, there's plenty of time for a nice thick tuna melt!"

---

Calvin opened his eyes slowly. "Ooh…..What happened?" He sat up and groggily looked around. A gray and white cat- he could smell it was a girl- and a ginger tabby with dark stripes were lying next to him. Unconcernedly, he started licking bits of leaves and sticks out of his pelt. And then it dawned on him. He stopped short and looked down at himself. "AUUUGH!"

---

Runningpaw hissed in annoyance as the chaffinch she was about to catch let out an alarm call and flew away, startled by the screech that had ripped through the air a moment ago. Her brother Rowanpaw pushed through a bush, followed by their mentors, Moonflower and Rainshadow. "Are you okay?" Asked Rowanpaw, gently swishing his tail across her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine." replied Runningpaw. "It wasn't me." Moonflower looked troubled. "I wonder who it was. Maybe we should look." "That's fine with me." replied Rainshadow. "Come on, you two!"

---

By thins time, as you would think, Sam and Hobbes were both awake. And all were talking at once. "A HOUSE CAT! Lowest of the low! Why couldn't it have been a bobcat, or a puma, or a-"Hobbes was cut off by Calvin, who had started to wail, his ears flat against his head. "What are we gonna DOOO? What are we gonna DOOO?" Sam, keeping a modicum of calm, had gone into the woods surrounding the woods about five minutes ago. She now came back with a pigeon clamped in her jaws. Putting it down, she sat and took a bite out of it. "EWW, SAM!" yelled Calvin, staring as Hobbes joined in. "That's just-" What it was, we'll never know, for the ThunderClan cats crashed in on top of them.

---

Runningpaw hissed in anger. Rouges! And they had stolen ThunderClan prey too! There were three of them- a gray and white she-cat and a yellow tom, both a little bigger than her, and a HUGE ginger tabby with dark stripes, currently baring his long fangs at them." Get off our territory!" growled Moonflower, baring her teeth as well. Just when the situation seemed to be calming down, Rowanpaw launched himself onto the she-cat. "Rowanpaw, NO!" shouted Rainshadow, laying his ears flat. But it was too late. The gray cat had already raked her claws across his muzzle, and with a yowl the brawny ginger tom launched himself on Rainshadow. The fighting was what you would expect. Slashing, belly clawing, and biting.

---

Sam let out a shriek as the dark brown tom launched himself at her. Rearing back, she made a fist and swiped at him. He fell back with a hiss, blood dipping from a gash in his muzzle, and Sam mentally smacked her forehead. _Cat, claws, you need to reme- _ She was cut off by the cat landing on top of her, and got pulled back to the battle in a hurry.

Elsewhere, Calvin and Hobbes were having similar problems. Calvin and managed to claw his way on top of the ginger and white she- cat, pinning her, and was now hissing and biting at Moonflower as she rained blows on his head. Hobbes was locked in a rolling, screechy ball of fur with Rainshadow. Just as it started to seem this would never end, more cats burst out of t he bushes and into the clearing.

---

Runningpaw let out a muffled sigh of relief as the patrol burst through the bushes, led by Stonestar himself! She recognized Russetclaw, Barkface, Sunfur, and Longwhisker. Then she felt the weight of the other cat get off of her, and she sprang up, hissing. The yellow tom had gotten off, he and his companions were backing up, their ears flat back, snarling at the ring of fresh ThunderClan warriors around them.

Stonestar walked up to them, his claws in. After giving them an once-over, he said to his patrol "We're taking them back to the camp" More than a few eye widened, but, the cats fell into line unquestioningly, with Sam, Hobbes and Calvin in the middle of the group.


	4. Naming

A/N: Whew! I'll try and write at least two pages from now on.

Sam and Calvin looked around warily, Hobbes behind them and guarding their backs. They had passed through a tunnel made out of dried grass, and into a clearing with walls made out of the same stuff as the tunnel.

A pale brown she-cat with a pair of kittens playing in the dirt by her feet looked up at them, eyes widening in shock as she saw Sam and Calvin. She stood up and ushered her kits into the den with her tail. "Mom, are those ShadowClan cats?" one asked. "They smell yucky."

Stonestar leaped onto a tall rock into the middle of the clearing. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting." he yowled.

Slowly, cats filtered out from various dens and sat underneath the rock.

After everyone was seated, Stonestar continued to talk. "We have found three loners on the border with ShadowClan, close to the Thunderpath. They will be accepted into the clan."

Shocked muttering broke out, and Sam could see one large gray tabby tom flattening his ears.

"Pebbleface, you are ready to take on another apprentice." A pale grey tom with a broad face that seemed to have a black mask walked out of the group and stood in front of the gathering of cats. "You will be mentor to Silverpaw. Pebbleface, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of great loyalty and justice. I'm sure you will pass all you know on to this apprentice."

Pebbleface lowered his head and whispered to Sam, "Touch noses to me." Sam nervously complied, and they stepped to the side.

"Ambersight, you are ready to take on your first apprentice." A lithe, dark brown she-cat stalked out of the group, and again stood in front of them. "You will be mentor to Sunpaw. Ambersight, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of great courage and ambition. I'm sure you will pass on all that you know to this apprentice." Calvin touched noses with Ambersight, and then they moved away, leaving Hobbes the sole survivor in front of Stonestar.

"This cat will be accepted into the Clan as a warrior."

More shocked meows broke out among the seated cats, and the mutinous gray tabby looked like he wanted to interject. Sensing the tension, Stonestar quickly went on.

"By making new warriors, we add strength to ThunderClan. Despite the fact that you were born outside the Clan, we honor your bravery and strength. From this moment on, you will be known as Nightstripes."

At fist, there was silence. Then, one of the small kits that had been playing at the camp entrance began to squeak, "Nightstripes! Silverpaw! Sunpaw!" The chant spread throughout the seated cats, although some remained resolutely silent.

The group began to break up, and Stonestar leaped down from the Highrock. Pebbleface stood and stretched. "It's too late to take you out now, but we can tour the camp." he meowed to Silverpaw. "Can Cal- err; Sunpaw and his mentor come with us?"

"I expect they'll be doing the same thing, so we'll see them. Come on!" He sprang up onto the Highrock, gesturing with his tail for Silverpaw to follow. She jumped and scrabbled, claws catching on the rock. Pebbleface leaned down and hauled her up, teeth set in the scruff if her neck. "Over here's Stonestar's den. You can stick your nose in, he's off on patrol."

Meanwhile, Ambersight was showing Sunpaw and Nightstripes the dens. "Nightstripes, you'll be sleeping over there under that bush. The other warriors sleep there as well. Sunpaw, you and your sister will sleep in that clump of ferns. Swiftpaw and Berrypaw will be in there with you."

She gestured with her tail at a fallen tree propped up at one end. "That's the elders den there. And just beyond it, in the crack in that rock, is Frostfeather's den. She's the medicine cat."

Spinning to face them suddenly, she meowed. "Well, that's it. IF you're hungry, there's the fresh-kill pile, and you can also go sleep in your dens. I trust you know where they are by now!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Sunpaw spotted Silverpaw heading for the fresh-kill pile. "I am pretty hungry." he blurted, and almost ran over to the small heap of dead animals.

Silverpaw was taking small mouthfuls out of a mouse, her blue eyes glowing. "Calvin, it's _good!"_ she whispered, taking another bite.

Overcoming his disgust at the though of eating a dead mouse, Sunpaw bent down and took a munch. "Not that bad. Tastes a little like sushi." Between the both of them, they soon finished the mouse. Silverpaw sat up and fixed Sunpaw with her blue stare.

'We need to talk."


End file.
